Broadband networks such as hybrid fiber coax (HFC) networks deliver video, telephony, data, and, in some cases, voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services to customers. Unlike traditional twisted pair local distribution networks, an HFC network must be managed to meet the capacity, availability, and reliability requirements of multiple services. Video, telephony, and data services share the same transport infrastructure to the customer's service location. Because this relationship exists, it is important that the set of HFC network management solutions meet the requirements of the HFC network and the requirements of the services transported by the HFC network to customers.
Previously, many of the infrastructure elements in an HFC network could not be actively monitored due to the limited availability of remote surveillance capabilities in the HFC network elements. Traditionally, local operations response and restoration methods relied heavily on the receipt and correlation of customer trouble reports to identify and sectionalize service-affecting conditions. HFC network element manufacturers did not actively pursue incorporating status-monitoring functionality because this increased the cost of the network elements for which there was no significant demand.
The introduction of high-speed data access and cable telephony services (along with traditional cable video services) into the HFC network created an immediate need for enhanced monitoring capabilities. This need is being addressed by the deployment of external transponders associated with HFC network elements such as power supplies and fiber nodes. Additional surveillance capabilities are provided via the deployment of enhanced service network elements (i.e., host digital terminals (HDT)/network interface units (NIU) for telephony, cable modem termination systems (CMTS)/cable modems for data access such as Internet access) and element management systems. While this equipment provides a higher-level status monitoring it provides only a logical network view at best. The ability of an HFC network management system to correlate alarms to physical plant outages requires a network inventory/configuration manager that contains accurate physical network topology data.
The ability to sectionalize HFC plant outages is important for many reasons. One of the most important reasons is that a typical local workforce is divided by skill sets and training into separate groups such as head end (HE) technicians responsible for the services equipment and distribution facilities located within the cable HE offices, line technicians responsible for the outside HFC distribution plant, and premises technicians responsible for customer-premises terminating equipment. The ability to determine where a problem resides allows the operator to dispatch the proper technician to the proper location to resolve the problem immediately. For example, this eliminates situations where a line technician is dispatched only to learn that there is a premises problem and vice versa.
The installation of increasing numbers of addressable intelligent end points in the HFC network (i.e., NIUs, cable modems) and transponders on HFC network elements along with network topology data provides the required information for an HFC network management system to monitor network and service performances levels. This can be achieved provided each of the HFC network elements and their location relative to the physical network are accurately represented in a database and are available to the operators responsible for HFC network surveillance. Then, either automatically or via a network operations technician, notification can be sent to a properly qualified technician without the need for manual sectionalization and multiple dispatches. This capability will reduce response and repair times dramatically.
A critical component of HFC network customer service is the ability to rapidly identify and resolve HFC network issues. Accordingly, what is needed is a method and system for generating geographic visual displays which identify HFC network and supported service-affecting alarms and correlate these alarms to data such as customer proximity data, HFC plant and HFC network element proximity data, and connectivity proximity data for the resolution of alarms, problems, and customer service. Such geographic displays enable operators to determine what troubles are related to each other, in what segment of the HFC network the troubles are located, the customers impacted by the troubles, and the cause of the troubles.